Do you ever lend your gear?

[Lemonade]

I'm afraid it's another poll :)

A friend is going to Florida and will spend a week diving in the Keys. I'm out of vacation time, so I can't go.

He's asking to borrow my gear, particularly BC, regulator, instruments and light.

Do you ever lend your gear?

[pentiumchic]

The first time I saw a gear lending poll I said no and meant it.But then I watched this new open water student having mask leaking problem so bad that she looked like a nodding horse every other minute that I loaned my mask to her but I still draw the line on my reg.lol

Jen

[Waterborne]

It depends on the particular piece of gear. I have no problem lending any of my gear to my close buddies. I haven't had to yet as we all have the same quality gear but if they needed it, they have access to my full kit. As long as I'm not using it of course. Although we all have a very tight pact if you will. The only person that uses the gear is the one who borrowed it. As far as aquaintences and strangers, never. I worked long and hard to get the gear that I have. Granted if they needed a piece out of my save a dive kit, sure have at it. Any one other than my close buddies that wanted my regs, B/P & wings, or any other major piece of gear, would have to pry it out of my cold, lifeless hands.:D

[SA-Diver]

I will not lend cylinder, BC, reg or computer to anyone.
I will lend things like mask, booties, fins, compass etc to close friends but the deal is always - you break or lose, you replace with exactly the same.

[seadog]

to visiting friends, but only if we are diving with them.

[Alfred.E]

I wouldn't have any problem lending gear to a good buddy who you can trust to look after it. Wouldn't be any different than lending themyour car.

[Barracuda2]

People just don't take care of stuff as their own when they borrow. I loaned out a Nikonos V camera and strobe and it got flooded because the guy took it beyond its capabilities (over 160 ft.) I had to take him to small claims court to get my money back. Lost a friend and a camera.

Also, there could be a liability situation here, especially with life support equipment. If he drowns using your reg, somebody might get the idea to sue
you for loaning faulty equipment. my $.02.

Barracuda2

[awap]

When I can help someone from my save-a-dive kit, including a spare reg & guages, I do for the dive at hand. Loans to avoid the expense of purchase or renting are done on a much more selective basis.

[scuberd]

I might loan my light or something small like that to a good, trusted friend; however, I never loan out anything that my life depends on, nor anything that need to fit correctly like a mask or wet suit.

[ColdH20diving]

As a general rule no, I done it in the past and it's taken forever to get my equipment back. Spare parts from my equipment box no problem. I don't want the potential liability issues should something happen.

[Jonathan]

I do all the time - with the proviso that it comes back in the same condition or a new replacement.

I think that generally the reason people ask to borrow is because they know how expensive stuff is and can't afford it. In which case they are usually pretty gratefull and the times I have lent stuff I think it is generally better cared for than when I use it...

If not, you're diving with the wrong people or have the wrong friends....

Jonathan

[Scubaddawg]

:box:
No!, Never!, Forget it!, I have good friends but the friendship only goes so far.

I dont mind him borrowing a hood or gloves, My buddies are the same as me. If you need it that bad :shout: GO BUY IT!! I dont mind letting him try it out , To see if he likes it or is thinking of buying one. We basically keep our gear to ourselves, I know the feeling is mutual between my dive buddies :stooges:


Scubaddawg

[scubafanatic]

.......sure, I'll pretty much loan anything, as long as I have 100% of what I need first.....and I usually bring spare masks/tanks/reg sets at least. I've loaned to 'strangers', as long as they associated with my dive shop, and I'm diving at the sametime they are...never had a problem so far with missing/damaged gear...and people really appreciate it! I generally don't loan t oanyone too cheap to invest in their own gear...I do it in the event someone has a gear malfunction, or maybe just wants to try out another brand of regulator, for example...hopefully if I'm ever in need myself someone will return the favor.

Karl

[pchelp]

If it's someone I'm diving with - sure, that's why I allways have an extra reg. and weight. My computer - NO, but I do carry an extra guage set (spg/depth) that can be borrowed, had to use it myself before, when my air-integrated computer crapped, used my primary computer on my wrist to finish the dive, and replaced the air-integrated at the boat with the manual guages.

And now that I have a new Halcyon Pioneer 36, they could probably borrow my old (less than 1 year) BC, not sure if I would loan out the new bp/wing;)

[chepar]

How's it going? How do you like your new BP/wing set up?

I've been toying with that idea myself - but at the same time haven't figured out if the expense of another rig is justified by the amount of diving I do (or don't do, for that matter).

For what it's worth, I can attest for Rusty's preparedness - when I met him, for someone who had just recently gotten into diving, he sure had an impressive array of extra stuff. Kind of like a mobile dive shop. :)

[mddolson]

Yes I have loaned a piece of gear or two out to friends, who I know will look after it. This is usually because of the break down at the dive sight, or if I have a particular piece of gear that a diver is considering buying, and wants to try it first.
But to loan my primary gear for a holiday trip :NO!

Mike D

[washow88]

No,
As a PADI divemaster, the professional liability insurance that I carry does not give me protection for accidents caused by equipment that I choose to lend to a diver.
The equipment coverage is part of the dive center or resort’s insurance policy.
Do yourself a favor and let him rent the dive gear from a dive center or resort.

[caveseeker7]

But I don't trust easy. The regulator maybe not, as my life depends on that more than on any other piece of equipment. Save-a-dive bits, a mask, even trying some equipment on a trip I usually have no problem. Borrowing stuff to a visting friend when we go on local trips neither.

[double125's]

While doing shore dives I will let people borrow my equipment to try it out, however I would be hesitant to let them just take it for more than a day. Like some said earlier they just dont care for it if they did not pay for it.

[mars2u]

I'll lend stuff from my save-a-dive kit, mask, snorkel...but that's about it. Equipment is expensive and many folks make a valid point about the liability aspects of lending your gear.

[ElectricZombie]

I'll let people borrow stuff...mostly to try out so they can decide what to buy.

[leadweight]

I lend gear to 20-something year old college students, but only if I am paying their tuition bills.

[domino22]

My rule is ya you can try it out within my sight! I will clean it . Computers you can look at it but "NO TOUCH".. Need a oring here you go no charge. Wet suit no way I would not ask to wear your underware.

[metaldector]

Sure, I loan the simple stuff. Sunday last, one guy had his pony bottle in for hydro and it wasn't back in time for the dive. He needed 4 lbs. of weight to compensate. Another guy was diving for the first time in 5 months, and his regulator free flowed bleeding the tank to 800 lbs., so I loaned him a full tank (he paid me for the refill) and was able to complete the dive. Another guy dropped a glove somewhere, and someone came up with another. As for regs, wet suits, nah, I won't lend. But mask, fins, weights, tanks, treat them right and I'll share.:mean:

[jray]

I will only loan mask, norkel, fins. The other stuff is too risky in my opinion. I cannot affort the liability if something goes wrong. A friend just asked to borrow my regulator and BC but I had to say no.

[Boogie711]

And when I say I trust them, I mean it. If they wanted my stuff, I'd lend it to them. No problems.

As for acquaintances... more of a grey area. Simple stuff, sure. My computer? No way.

I've found the key is to get as much stuff customized as possible so that you can't lend it out. :) My prescription mask is a good example.

[SueMermaid]

Sure, I'd lend my gear to someone I trust.
But not my wetsuit. :no:
And my reg has a Seacure mouthpiece, so nobody'd want it anyway.

[Krisscuba]

Letting someone use a piece of gear under your direct supervision, i.e. neading a mask is ok. By the way OK comes from an old war term, when the men returned to their bunker, if all returned it was reported 0 (zero) K (killed)

I have learned more then once not to lend gear.

I have a lot of gear as I was an instructor until this year, I did not renew.

While living in Hawaii in the mid 80's I have three tails

I lent a Nokomis II to a friend, he droped it, dammaged the lens and did not even offer to have it repaired.

I lent a reg to someone. On my next dive I put my head into a hole, pulled it out and sucked water. I started to ascend. I had the mouth piece in my mouth. the second stage was not attached to it. The tie wrap that held the mouth piece to the second stage bothered my friend, so he cut it off. When I pulled my head out of the hole, the hose caught on something and pulled the second stage out of the mouth piece.

I was diving with some friends. I often brought tanks for them as they had none. Of course they never even offered to pay for the air fill they used. On one dive the burst disc went on one I was lending someone. Costing the air fill in it. $12 for the burst disk and another air fill. Again no monies were offered. The next time we went diving they wanted to know why I did not bring tanks for them?

[SueMermaid]

Kris, I don't think you have a problem lending your gear, I think you have a problem with your friends! :wacko:

[mleong]

I would lend all except the regulator. And I would explain to them that to take care of it, if not, make sure they understand the liability of the costs. If the person is someone who knows what is the difference between a Scubapro Jetfins vs a USD Compro, I would lend them all my gear. I have some friends that who does not matter what equipment they use as long as it can be used.

[Ron Brandt]

When I first learned to dive 23 years ago that was the thing to do around here.

I kind of lend now,more like rent it out cheap,with me comming along for the dive and certifying a student :-)

Ron

[Fort Collins Bob]

Hello all,

NO, I do not lend gear because:

1) There is a HUGE liabilty issue if something bad happens.

2) This would void my insurance on my equipment, all 15K worth.


Best regards all ;-]

[joed]

I never lend gear. I learned that lesson 40 years ago.Lent my fins to a buddy's friend. Fins came back ripped, they were shoe fins. My friend said his friend said the fins were ripped before I lent them to him. ok, never again.
One time I borrowed a full set of gear for a non diving good friend of mine. I took my best friend on a beautiful reef, 10' deep. My friend was not certified so I watched him like a hawk. I am not an instructor. The reg. stopped breathing so we surfaced and swam in, no problem except for an angry best friend. When I told the guy I borrowed the gear from, he said, oh yeah," that stuff was in a fire".

Another time I lent me roommate and good friend my wood skis. They came back broken . My roomate said he spoke to someone who said the skis were no good anyway.
People ask me to borrow anything I say no. My neighbor asked to borrow my chain saw. I said no but offered cut down the tree with him. He said no, he was offended, but at least we are still friends.

[diverlady]

I've only borrowed stuff like lights, ankle weights, a reg set once (since my rentals failed at 80ft) and a BC from my LDS (at his insistence!). I returned all equipment in the same condition I received it and would offer to replace it if I damaged it. I figure that's reasonable.
My last dive weekend, one diver had to rent regs because her husband wouldn't loan her his! Talk about being protective of your equipment.
I would loan stuff to divers I know would take care of it. I have loaned my octo. Does that count?? :chin:

[Krisscuba]

I have come accross these bumper stickers, available for $3 including shipping & handling. If interested please PM me.

[pcscuba]

I'll lend fins, snorkel, mask, or weights but only to my good friends. Reg, BC etc never.